Pericarditis and pleuritis associated with human parvovirus B19 infection in a systemic lupus erythematosus patient.

Human parvovirus B19 (PVB19) infection sometimes shows systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like symptoms. We present an SLE patient showing pericarditis and pleuritis with a fever and an acute swelling of extremities 2 months after the fist consultation. Initially, a diagnosis of SLE exacerbation was made. Additional laboratory examination showed positive results for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to PVB19 and PVB19 DNA in serum and pleural effusion at that time. After 1 month, PVB19 DNA in serum and IgM antibody to PVB19 was negative. Based on these findings, a final diagnosis of PVB19 infection in an SLE patient was made. PVB19 infection should be taken into consideration for SLE with acute swelling of the extremities and fever, as these symptoms are often observed in adult cases of PVB19 infection. Steroid pulse therapy rapidly improved these symptoms, and later the dose of steroid was reduced to 5 mg/day of prednisolone. Thus, steroids may be one of the choices for severe and/or rapidly progressive symptoms of pericarditis and pleuritis due to PVB19 infection.

Decreased factor XIII activity in a patient with subcutaneous bleeding after double filtration plasmapheresis.

Double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) is often performed as a treatment for autoimmune diseases including pemphigus vulgaris. We report a pemphigus vulgaris patient with subcutaneous bleeding, gradually spreading over a period of 10 days after DFPP. In this patient, factor XIII activity was markedly decreased. In three other patients, factor XIII activities were markedly reduced the day following DFPP, were but restored by days 7-10. From these findings, subcutaneous bleeding may have occurred in the present patient due to a delayed recovery of the decreased factor XIII activity after DFPP. Therefore, decreased factor XIII activity could be a critical cause of subcutaneous bleeding after DFPP.

Efficacy of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis for pustular psoriasis.

Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP) has recently shown remarkable effects on ulcerative colitis, which is characterized by inflammation and neutrophil infiltration. Pustular psoriasis often shows histological findings of neutrophilic pustules in the epidermis, and in Japan is usually treated with etretinate or immunosuppressive agents. However, there are some resistant cases to these therapies. We performed GCAP on one patient with generalized pustular psoriasis (patient 1) and on one patient with acrodermatitis continua, a subtype of pustular psoriasis limited to acral lesions (patient 2). Patient 1, a 44-year-old woman suffering from alcoholic liver cirrhosis and osteoporosis as a result of the liver cirrhosis, received two GCAP sessions because cyclosporine was ineffective. Patient 2, a 66-year-old man with hypertension who had suffered from a brain infarction 4 years before, had five GCAP sessions because etretinate was ineffective. GCAP remarkably improved the skin lesions in both patients. No adverse effects were observed either during or after treatment. From these findings, GCAP could be an effective therapy for refractory cases of pustular psoriasis.

Chronic fatigue syndrome after human parvovirus B19 infection without persistent viremia.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear how often chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) appears after human parvovirus B19 (B19) infection and whether prolonged B19 viremia or some other factors cause CFS. OBJECTIVES: To determine how often CFS appears after B19 infection and whether prolonged B19 DNA presence, antibody production and persistently reduced complement levels occur in CFS patients after B19 infection. METHODS: Clinical findings were examined in 210 patients after B19 infection, and CH50, C3 and C4 levels were determined. B19 DNA and antibodies to B19 were also tested in 38 patients' sera including 3 with CFS. RESULTS: Serum B19 DNA disappeared after 4-5 months in all 18 patients tested. There are no differences in B19 DNA-positive period between patients with and without persistent symptoms. IgM antibody titers to B19 became reduced after 2 months in all 38 patients. Complement levels persistently decreased in a greater proportion of patients with persistent symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that we should consider the possibility of CFS after B19 infection and that CFS may be derived from several aspects other than prolonged B19 DNA presence in sera.

Efficacy of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis for three cases of refractory pyoderma gangrenosum.

Pyoderma gangrenosum presents with chronic skin ulcers and is histologically characterized by neutrophil infiltration throughout the dermis. It is also occasionally associated with ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, against which granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP) has recently shown remarkable efficacy. We performed GCAP on three refractory cases of pyoderma gangrenosum with painful bilateral leg ulcers and hereby report the results obtained. Patient 1 was a 43-year-old woman with a four-year history of recurrent painful skin ulcers treated with prednisolone and cyclosporine. Patient 2 was a 29-year-old woman who had been suffering from pyoderma gangrenosum with severe pain for two weeks, associated with an 11-year history of ulcerative colitis treated with prednisolone and salazosulfapyridine. Patient 3 was a 63-year-old man with a three-year history of recurrent ulcers with pain, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis treated with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. The sizes of the lesions were reduced in all three patients following a weekly GCAP treatment for 10 or 11 consecutive weeks, and the re-epithelialization of ulcers were additionally observed in two patients. The pain disappeared dramatically in all three patients following two sessions of GCAP therapy. No adverse effects were observed for up to at least eight months after treatment. We therefore considered GCAP as one effective alternative to currently existing therapies, with regards to refractory cases of pyoderma gangrenosum.